Victoria City Council split on improvement priorities

By
Melissa Crowe
April 2, 2013 at 8:05 p.m.Updated April 1, 2013 at 11:02 p.m.

The City Council will have to pick one or the other when it comes to two multimillion-dollar street projects in north and south Victoria.

During Tuesday's City Council meeting, the seven-member group remained split on the 10-year project to repair downtown streets and infrastructure and the need to expand Mallette Drive for growth.

To complete projects in other parts of the city, Public Works Director Lynn Short recommended delaying the $4.5 million Downtown Phase 3 Project until 2014 and the $8.6 million Phase 4 Project until 2017. The projects are designed to rehabilitate water and sewer lines in north sections of downtown and in the Olde Towne subdivision.

However, Councilman Emett Alvarez said downtown residents have been patient. He also wants to see Red River and Juan Linn streets added to the city's capital improvement plan.

"The fact that we're getting new water lines means I don't have to look at a glass of water and see sediment on the bottom," Alvarez said. "A lot of us have waited for a long time, even more in the downtown area."